Lost in the Woods
by sorcererbones
Summary: Leo, Raph, Don, and Mikey get mysteriously separated in an unfamiliar location. Feeling isolated and anxious they all attempt to find the others. Can they do it before danger finds them first? Rated T for a few graphic scenes.
1. Intro

Mikey tossed and turned. His stomach felt empty, his tongue felt like sandpaper, and his hand felt like it was on fire. _Leo. Leo._ He reached out with his mind, hoping by shear will power he could make them respond. _Raph. Donnie. Where are you?_ His head screamed with the ache of pain and loss. He couldn't breath, couldn't speak. Rough, inflexible hands pulled him away from the ground, dragging him away from what little comfort he had in that sensation. _No, no. no. They won't find me if I move. No._ His internal cries were left unheeded. He felt tears slip down his face as he was hoisted into position. It hurt. Everything hurt. _Leo…_


	2. Chapter 1 - Leo Alone

_So this has been sitting on my desktop for a while but I think it's finally ready to see the light of day. Hope you enjoy! And let me know what you think in the comments!_

 _(Also, for all the raph, donnie, and mikey lovers out there, don't worry their chapters are coming :)_

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Leo ached everywhere. Every muscle felt stiff and sore. As he groaned and shifted, Leo felt something crumble beneath him. Without opening his eyes, he lay for a second, trying to make sense of his surrounds. He felt the ground: damp, rough, and yielding. A whole variety of smells created a distinct sent of earth.

With a sigh, Leo opened his heavy eyes and was met with blinding sunlight. Instinctively, he held up his hand, blinking several times. As his vision cleared, Leo's eyes widened.

Tall, slender trees surrounded his field of vision, their branches dividing into countless leaves that covered a brilliant blue sky. Sunlight lazily filtered through the holes in canopy. Leo let out a breath of wonderment and sat up.

He immediately regretted it. A heavy wave of nausea knocked him on his back. His stomach tied in knots and his head swam as he tried to catch his breath. After a couple meditative exhales, Leo tried sitting up again, only much more slowly. His body furiously complained as he righted himself and took another look around.

The air was cool and the forest smelled like rain. The leaves took on an array of colors. Reds, oranges, yellows, and browns all painted the forest in autumn. But it was summer in New York…

Where _was_ he? And more importantly, where were his brothers? Leo's heart dropped. _Mikey. Where was Mikey?_ He scanned around him, unable to find any signs of his youngest brother or any of his brothers. Leo gently picked himself up and leaned on a nearby tree for support.

"Mikey!… Mikey!…Donnie! Raph!" he called out.

He paused, listening for any indication of them. Still nothing. He took a deep breath and yelled again,

"Mikey!…Donnie!…Raph!"

Leo frowned and stumbled to the next tree, placing his hand on the rough bark for support. A heavy feeling sat at the lowest part in his stomach, painfully pulling on his heart. He wasn't with them. How was he suppose to lead a team he lost? His eyes closed and his breathing became heavy and slow. He took a labored breath and called out- "Mikey! Donnie! Raph!"

His laden lungs pulled out call after call until the light passing through the trees began to fade and his voice gave out. His heart increasing pace with every darkening moment.

Leo paused, back to a particularly large tree, trying to catch his breath. He stood there, anxiety softly calling. _Mikey._ But what about Mikey? He _knew_ something was off, something bad…But _what?_ He scrambled to put together the pieces but all he could grasp for sure was that Mikey was in danger somehow, somewhere. He growled. Why couldn't he remember? Leo ducked his head.

He was failing. Failing as a leader. He had no team, he had no plan, no concept of the threat, no idea how to stop it. His body withered with the weight that crushed him on all sides.

All he _could_ do was try to get to his little brother before whatever it was happened. He'd have face whatever danger awaited once he actually found Mikey. It wasn't much of a plan but it'd was the only one he had.

With that small spark of resolve, Leo stepped away from the tree to continue searching but as he took his first step forward, his already fatigued legs gave way underneath him. He fell awkwardly, his ankle popping out at an weird angle. A hot jab shot through his leg.

 _Dammit._

He tried to stand but the shock through his leg was too painful. Leo fell back into a sitting position and looked down. He was greeted with the sight of massive swelling around his ankle. The muscle that ran down his leg felt like a hot rod, making the whole right side of his appendage feel like it was on fire.

Leo brought his hand up to his eyes and his brow furrowed. He suppressed the surge of dread that leaped to his throat. His mind began to spin out of control, worries pulling at every fiber of his being.

 _Calm, Leo. Calm._ Leo took several breathes, letting them slow and deepen with each inhale. His mind slowly cleared. Maybe it'd be best to rest and continue his search in the morning. The darkening day didn't give way to streetlights and lit windows. He wasn't going to be able to see for much longer and his weariness was slowing him down anyway.

Leo looked around for a place to lie down. So far he hadn't run into any dangerous animals but, for all he knew, the night would bring out new threats and with what he guessed to be a strained muscle, he wasn't in any shape to defend himself. He'd fought injured before but the growing night crowded in on him, reminding him of how weak and ill-prepared he truly was. Leo raised his eyes upward. A tree might be a better option.

He lifted himself with the help of his uninjured leg and both arms. Shuffling towards a particularly promising bunch of sturdy looking trees, Leo winced with each step on his injured leg.

The lowest branch he was able to find was about ten feet up. It would have to do. His leg wasn't going to give him much more and all the trees around him would take significantly more effort to reach.

Leo steadied himself to jump, favoring his left side. Both legs shook with the effort but he ignored it, and with a solid push, Leo leaped for the branch. He stretched out, willing himself towards it.

His fingers just barely missed. Toppling heavily onto the ground, Leo hit his leg. The pain the rocketed through his side left him panting. Sweat crossed his brow, his stomach twisted, and, for a moment, the pain was the only thing that existed in his world.

Eventually, his senses came back to him. The pain faded to an unrelenting ache but that ordeal left Leo spent. He'd walked all day with half of his strength, the incessant calling had his throat scratching for water, and the constant shadow of worry had been quietly sapping whatever energy he had on reserve. The shock of pain took the last of his stamina. Maybe he'd just lie here for the night.

 _No. Get back on your feet, Leo. Get up._

Leo sighed and searched for some power still hidden in his muscles. He focused his body on getting up, eventually letting himself to his feet. He studied the branch a second time, ignoring the doubt that seeped into his mind, fixating on the power in his muscles that would carry him instead. He stilled for a second, frozen in concentration, before leaping off the ground. This time his hands caught. Thankfully, the tree held.

Leo strained to pull the rest of himself up. With the care and grace of a tightrope walker that surprised even him, Leo straightened himself.

Setting himself down, Leo let out a shaking breath. His ankle burned and his leg bit painfully but he'd made it to safety. Using his belt, Leo tied himself to the branch and proceeded to rewrap his ankle in a more supportive pattern. Not perfect but good enough. He crossed his legs, placing the injured leg on top. His katanas sat across his lap, held steady by his hands laid over top. At least he'd landed here — wherever here was — with his weapons.

With the reassuring feel of his katanas under his palms, cool and solid, Leo tried to calm his thoughts and block out the pain radiating from his leg. He had to get some rest.

As the clamor of insects began, Leo drifted to sleep and into the arms of his nightmares.


	3. Chapter 2 - Nightmares

_Mikey alone with a gash in his leg. Raph surrounded by foot solders. Donnie pointing his quivering bo staff at an angry bear. All of them screaming his name. Leo!_ The reverberating sound in his head shocked him awake. _Leo!_ His heart raced and his eyes opened wide as the call faded into the back of his mind. _Only a nightmare._ He reassured himself but the images stayed sharp in his mind. Their pain, his failure, the fear. He drew his attention away from his shaking hands to the day that lay before him.

Morning peaked through the trees and passed the clouds, lighting up the leaves in vivid shades. The birds greeted each other and the wind gently pulled across Leo's skin, cooling his feverish forehead.

He let the calm morning take him in and slow his racing heart. He could continue his search now and hopefully calm his panicked mind. Fatigued body or no, Leo wasn't going to sleep well without knowing his brothers were ok. _Especially Mikey._ That nagging feeling hadn't left him during the night. If anything, it pulled with greater urgency.

He climbed down slowly. Thankfully, his body had regained some of its strength despite the nights' restless sleep.

Leo landed on the ground with a slight ruffle of leaves. He winced and wobbled precariously as he caught his balance. In the city, he wouldn't have made a sound. Even taking into account his injury, he had made too much noise. Leo frowned. He would have to adapt his skills to this new environment.

Unfortunately, his knew very little of how to apply his ninjutsu skills away from the city and he knew even less about how to survive in the wild. Leo's stomach growled.

He frowned. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten. Everything before landing here was a mess of clipped memories. Nothing fit together. He had no way of telling how long he'd been out or how far back the fogginess in his memory went.

The last clear memory he had was of practicing his katas in the dojo. The soft slice of his katanas was only interrupted by Raph chasing after Mikey in retaliation for his little brother's latest prank and Donnie's hurried shushing. His felt his heart squeeze painfully. He'd never been this long without his brothers. Never had to.

His hunger would just have to wait.

Leo bent down to pick up a fallen branch. He could at least get himself moving more quickly. The stick was way too tall but had a nice "Y" shape at about shoulder height. Leo cracked the branch over his good knee and placed his arm in the crook.

With his balance improved, Leo continued his search for any clue of his brothers' presence. He hobbled in a direction chosen at random, slicing a notch into each tree he passed with his katana. Hopefully that would keep him from going in circles. It might even lead one of his brothers to him. _Or it could lead an enemy._

Leo tried calculating the likelihood that he'd run into the Foot or some other opponent. It didn't seem probable. They would've tracked him by now, assuming they had been the ones to put him here. He hadn't sensed anyone near by… Of course danger was always a possibility but as he looked around at the trees spreading endlessly before him, he decided it was worth the risk.

Leo refocused on finding clues. A dash of green, in the otherwise orange and brown forest, or even an odd array of leaves might give Leo a hint of where they could be. But scour as he might, he was still drawing up empty. Leo's stomach tightened in protest. He felt like a rag being twisted dry, stretched too far and too tight. What if his brothers weren't even here?

That gave Leo pause. What if he were the only one. Maybe his brothers were still in New York, worried about where _he_ was. No, that couldn't be right. It didn't _feel_ right. They had to be here. He could sense that they were here…

That was it! He could mediate. Maybe he could find their energies. That could lead him to his brothers or at least allow him to check that they were still alive. _Or dead._ Leo shuddered at the thought. _Focus._

He sat down and crossed his legs, concentrating on his breathing. His leg and stomach desperately pulled him away but eventually he found himself in deep meditation.

He fixed his attention on his brothers. Where _were_ they?

Leo felt their presence… lightly, like it was far away… but it was all jumbled up. Leo could sense them in the forest with him but was unable to glean any information about where or how they were. Their auras seemed scattered in a thick, omnipotent fog. Mikey's in particular…

Leo opened his eyes. They were out there, somewhere. How they were doing he had no idea. He would just have to keep searching. He pulled himself to his feet, trying to think positively. His brothers were alive and here somewhere, which meant he could find them. He had his katanas and had figured out a safe place to rest. All things considered, he had a lot on his side.

With that thought, the clouds that had been following him since the last night opened up, pouring out their sorrows onto the earth. _Great._ Leo sighed. Squinting his eyes in order to peer through the rain, he picked a new direction. Carefully, he continued his search through the dense, now muddy forest, slashing at the trees with irritation as he went.

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 _Thanks for reading! :) I update Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. Stay posted!_


	4. Chapter 3 - Raph

Raph opened his eyes to a face full rain. He'd been sleeping so peacefully before the sky had decided to ruin it with a downpour. Raph sat up mumbling to himself and brushed some of the water from his eyes. Not that it did much good, the stuff just kept coming, intent on drenching him.

He squinted through the rain, trying to get his bearings. Trees? Where the hell was he? Instead of skyscrapers, branches reached endlessly upward and the ground was covered in fallen leaves, pinecones, and short ferns instead of concrete. The sweet scent of decay lifted from the earth. Definitely not New York.

He looked down, picking up a handful of leaves and dirt in his hand. Not Central Park either. The rain washed his hand clean as he unclenched his fist. His hand trembled a little at the effort, the raindrops finding alternative routes down his hand at the motion. His whole body ached with fatigue. _Why?_

Raph tried to stand but the intense desire to vomit hit him with the force of a well aimed punch. He quickly turned onto all fours and threw up everything he had in his stomach… which wasn't much.

The rain tapped out a furious rhythm against his shell as Raph breathed heavily, eyes shut. _Damn nausea._ Raph waited another moment before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and pushing himself onto his feet.

Raph _tried_ to remember how he'd gotten here but it was like grasping at soap bubbles, the memory kept slipping away. Raph growled in frustration. That was just fine. He'd find Donnie or Leo and they'd remind him… But… where were they? Where was Mikey?

Raph's hands balled into fists as he scanned what little of the forest he could see. No sign of them. No sign of Mikey. Something was wrong. He didn't know exactly what but whatever it was it had to do with Mikey. He was in trouble. Somehow he just _knew._

His brothers had to be here somewhere. Mikey had to be here somewhere. _Where?_ Raph spun, checking every direction. He quickly gave up, racing off between the trees, hoping to run across one of his brothers by chance.

"Mikey!… Leo! Donnie!" As he ran, he yelled out their names. It felt pointless. Every call was swallowed up by the forest. Where the _hell_ were they? His heart pounded, breath coming in ragged bursts. His vision blurred from the rain and desperation. _Mikey._ His breath caught at the name. His heart felt like it was yanked out of his chest. _Mikey!_ Raph's eyes shut for a second, trying to block it out.

In that moment, Raph failed to watch his footing. The ball of his foot skidded on a particularly slippery patch of ground and his feet whipped out from underneath him. He hit his head hard on the way down.

Raph groaned. His head pulsed in angry hurt as his vision dimmed and then returned. Raph shoved himself off the ground and scoured for someone or something to take out his mounting frustration on. Of course, there were only trees. More goddamn trees for as far as he could see. Which wasn't far in this stupid weather.

His rage spiked. Raph stalked away, still scrutinizing his surroundings for any signs of his brothers, his head pounding out an angry rhythm. He walked on and on. Raph scanned back and forth with increasing urgency with every passing minute. He'd been looking for almost an hour now and hadn't spotted even one of his brothers. Where in the hell where they!?

Raph rubbed the back of his head in frustration. He needed to find them before nightfall- he felt danger crawling around every corner. He didn't want to stay out here any longer than he had to. Probably concussion induced paranoia. If that was a thing. But he kept a tight grasp on his sais anyway. The unfamiliar territory, the giant, gnarly trees and the storm that made it impossible to see five feet in front of his face or even tell when night would arrive…

For all he knew, it could already be nightfall! Raph sat heavily on an overturned tree and put his head in his hands. He felt completely overwhelmed… and lost. In this mess, he was never going to find his brothers.

 _Mikey…_

Raph's tears combined with the rain that ran down his face. He wiped furiously at them but the drops just kept falling. For some reason, a memory leaped to the front of Raph's mind. Mikey came in to the lair with tears streaming down his freckled cheeks. Unconsolable after a botched skateboarding stint. He'd hit his head pretty hard and Raph vaguely remembered Donnie mentioning something about one of the signs of a concussion was feeling emotional and anxious or something. The only thing that got Mikey to stop sobbing was Raph promising to go out with him next time and show him the trick to doing it right.

"Pinky promise?" Mikey had asked through watery eyes. Raph had rolled his eyes and replied,

"Pinky promise."

Man, he missed them. He didn't even know how long it'd been since he'd last seen his brothers. And he wasn't appreciating the time away like he usually did. At least when he went top side to cool down, he knew they'd be home, waiting, when he returned.

Right now, he knew nothing, not where they were or where _he_ was or if they were ok. It was equally infuriating and upsetting.

And for all he knew Mikey could be dead by now. Raph let out a shaking breath to calm himself. No, he was still here. He knew it. Concussion or no, he was going to find his little brother before anything bad happened to him.

"Pinky promise, Mikey." Raph murmured. With that Raph got up and looked around him. He had no idea which direction he'd come from or which way to head. He stared for a moment. _To hell with it._ He picked a direction that seemed right and plunged into the forest's forlorn depths.


	5. Chapter 4 - Survival of the Fittest

Raph shivered. He couldn't stop. His entire body shook in an effort to warm him up. The rain had finally ceased but the chill of the fall air dropped his body temperature to the point that he could feel his muscles slowing down.

He was cold-blooded. He was supposed to be stuffed next to a warm heater, not walking around in the muck looking for his brothers. Raph grumbled to himself.

He remembered Donnie explaining something about how their combined human and turtle DNA had left them cold-blooded but with a higher core temperature and human strategies for keeping warm like shivering and physical exertion. Donnie had of course continued with an elaborate explanation of how and why this worked but Raph had blocked him out after that.

Another violent shiver racked his body. He was growing tired fast. However he'd gotten here had left him exhausted and the constant shaking was depleting what little energy he had left in the aftermath of his original adrenaline rush.

The crash was hard. His head still pounded and his legs dragged. It was all he could do to put one step in front of the other, the earth gently giving way with each step. The smell of rain and wet stuck to him like paint coated on his skin.

Eventually, his feet gave out. His knees hit the ground, his hands moving in slow motion to catch him. He glared at the ground, trying to intimidate it out of the way. He gave up his glaring and sat back on his heels to stare up at the sky.

He was sure it was night now. The slight glimmer of moon showed through the thinning clouds and he was alone. He felt no closer to finding his brothers. His muscles tensed. Without the preoccupation of moving, the nasty thoughts that'd been lurking at the back of his mind rushed forward, unbidden. What if he never found them? What if he never found Mikey? Violent images of his brothers aching, bleeding, and alone punctuated each question. His helplessness hit him like another wave of nausea, hard and unforgiving.

Raph let out a yell of frustration and punched the ground, giving him a moment's distraction from the horrors his brain conceived to mock him. His breath was ragged as he tried to calm himself. He was no help to his brothers kneeling here. With grim determination, Raph lifted himself. He'd look all night if he had to and he'd take on anything that tried to stop him, including his own body. _Mind over matter._ His new favorite mantra. Raph chuckled despite himself. Maybe Leo was getting to him.

* * *

About an hour later, his feet about to give out again, Raph finally ran into trouble. At first, he hadn't noticed. Through his tired haze, he'd missed the soft crinkle of leaves behind him until a soft growl broke him from his trance. Swinging around, Raph pulled out his sais in one fluid motion and meet eyes with a monstrous, grey wolf. Its ears lay flat on its head, its eyes narrowed, and its posture lay low and tense. The predator was a perfect picture of deadly.

Raph shifted his stance slightly and glared back. A hushed moment passed before Raph gave a careless flip of his sais. As if on cue, the wolf leaped, snarling. Raph quickly knocked the wolf to the side, using its force against it. The beast was up in a moment attacking again at full speed.

Raph knew his body wasn't going to be able to take on any more. His body shook with exertion so as soon as the wolf hit him, he was knocked off balance. His already fatigued muscles desperately tried to right himself but ultimately lost to gravity.

Raph went down, the wolf's lethal teeth dangerously close to his throat. Raph struggled to keep the gnashing jaws away with his forearm, pushing with all his arms would give him against the neck of the wolf.

It's claws tore down his arms, drawing blood. Raph brought his sai around, striking the wolf in the side. It yelped and scrambled away from Raph. Using the brief brake in the assault, Raph rolled back up on to his knees and leaped for the wolf, his sais' gleaming points aiming straight for the predator.

His blades found their mark on the shoulder and neck, blood streaming forth, dying the grey fur crimson. The wolf howled and scampered away tail between it's legs, trailing blood. Raph slowly brought himself to his feet panting. The cuts layering his arms and legs stung, blood flowing freely from the broken skin. His head grew light and the world spun. Raph stumbled a few feet forward but he fell forward, collapsing in the underbrush.

Raph lay amongst the leaves, the smell of blood and dirt pervading his senses. Leaves prickled his exposed skin and their dead, brown color filled his vision. Raph slowly raised his head. The sun peaking over the horizon, gently illuminating the forest before it. It was almost beautiful but the pain pulled him away. Raph shut his eyes against it and the sun that tore and burned his pupils. His lids felt like concrete, his whole body begged him to sleep and the pain and in his head hadn't improved in hours. His skull felt like it was splitting in half. With the added burn of the gashes, Raph didn't feel like moving any time soon. But the unrelenting brown of the dirt and leaves was starting to drive him crazy.

Raph reluctantly pushed himself off his front, leaning heavily on the trunk of the nearest tree instead. From his seated position, Raph to could see a bird pick it's way through the underbrush. The soft shifting of leaves relaxed him. He stopped fighting and let sleep take him at last.


	6. Chapter 5 - Calculations

Donnie awoke damp and in pain, an unpleasant combination. He lay for a moment before forcing himself to sit up. His whole body burned with the effort. His head throbbed as waves of nausea crashed into him. He grimaced and brought his hand to his face, trying to alleviate some of the pain. Of course, it did nothing.

Donnie waited for the sickness to lessen before slowly opening his eyes. His breath caught. Gone were the skyscrapers and the concrete, replaced instead with towering trees and various underbrush. The sun was bright but the air was cool. The leaves rustled, dancing in an overlapping choreography of deep autumn colors.

Donnie creased his forehead. Based on the vegetation, the forest was deciduous, a type of forest most commonly found in the western United States, Canada, Western Europe, and parts of China. Unfortunately, that didn't narrow down their location much.

He caught himself. _Their_ location? He meant _his_. His location since his brothers stood nowhere near him. The uneasy feeling in his stomach returned. _Mikey._ His stomach threatened another wave of nausea. Where was Mikey? Donnie scanned the surrounding area, getting a full three-sixty. He needed to find Mikey now. Or.. or… "Mike-!" His voice caught in his throat, his eyes going wide. Or what? Don desperately tried to recall what was threatening Mikey but couldn't get a clear answer from his colluded brain.

Separation didn't bode well, especially in an unknown location. Who knew what was out there? Foxes, bears, wolves, and cougars came to mind first. Foot clan, Kraang, and the turtles' numerous other foes came second. The turning weather, indicated by the changing leaves, was a tertiary concern. As far as he could remember, it was summer in New York. The sudden change in season was odd at best and dangerous at worst. He'd hate to get caught in winter weather without a reliable source of heat. So many threats, so many possible dangers that could hurt Mikey. He had find him and soon.

Looking around, Donnie didn't see any clear indication of which way he should go. He couldn't just march off in any direction. He had to choose wisely. The forest provided no obvious choice. But the sun was a viable option. At least then he knew he was either going east or west, depending on the time of day. Donnie paused. The fact that he had no sense of time bothered him. He had no clue how long he'd been out. He assumed no less than a day but he was still unsure. He could already be too late. A shiver fell down his spine. The best he could do now was follow the sun until night and hope that gave him a better sense of direction.

As Donnie wandered the woods, he felt his stomach ache with hunger. Food was certainly a concern although a minor one in comparison to finding his brothers but important nonetheless. Water and shelter as well. He could do without them for a few days but it wouldn't be wise to go much longer. He hoped he'd find his brothers before that became necessary but he doubted they could just transport themselves back to New York. They'd probably have to provide for themselves until they found their way back. Plus, if Mikey really was in danger like his gut told him he was, he'd have wounds to tend to. He'd keep his eye out for potential food and water sources. Just in case.

As nighttime approached, Donnie felt fatigue unparalleled by anything he'd ever experienced. Even after Master Splinter's hardest training sessions, Donnie hadn't been this exhausted, this depleted. At least, after training he felt like he'd accomplished something. Here he'd been walking in the same direction with no results.

Donnie half-heartedly kicked the nearest branch. What was he doing? His brothers were out there, probably in danger, and he was wandering aimlessly through the woods. There had to be a better option.

Donnie frowned in concentration. He looked up at the darkening sky and had a stroke of genius. Of course! He could use the trees! They weren't quiet the rooftops of New York but they were just as fast and allowed him a great vantage point. He also stood further out of danger from the predators the likely lurked below the canopy at night.

Donnie looked for the best way up, quickly finding an appropriate tree. Donnie crawled his way up to the top, muscles protesting the whole way. The branches were smaller at the peak but they'd hold his weight for now. Squinting, Donnie scanned the section of forest he could see.

Nothing unusual but that was to be expected. Disappointment fed into his rush of emotions. Of course he wouldn't find them that easily. But anger, anxiety, exhaustion, and desperation all swirled in his stomach despite his logic. Donnie closed his eyes against crash of feelings, suppressing them and refocusing his mind. He had a lot of forest to cover. No sense in stopping just yet. The sun had yet to fully settle behind the horizon. Donnie clambered down a little lower in order to reach the slightly sturdier branches before launching himself to the next tree.

It took a few miscalculations of distance and branch strength but he eventually got the hang of leaping from tree to tree, branch to branch. He kept his eye towards the ground, scanning.

He should've stopped sooner, the bright lights of the city weren't here to guide his jumps but the terrors his mind imagined for Mikey urged him forward late into the night. Maybe the next tree. Just a little farther and he'd find them. Just one more.

Between his worry and his focus on the ground below, Donnie's attention fell away from the next branch. He realized a moment too late that he'd missed his target and was falling fast towards the ground. He scrambled for nearby branches as he fell either missing them by an inch or breaking them with his fast-falling weight.

Just before he was about to hit the ground, Donnie caught a particularly sturdy branch, abruptly stopping his descent. He cried out as his left shoulder caught his entire weight. With the increase in force created by his fall and the effect of gravity on descending mass, his arm pulled at a lot more weight than it was strong enough for.

Donnie briefly squeezed his eyes closed in a weak attempt to block out the pain. Donnie looked up at the branch he was holding and swung his other arm up, grabbing on with both hands. With an injured shoulder, he wasn't going to be able to lift himself up. He looked down and saw the drop was still dangerously high. He sighed. He'd jumped off a helicopter and survived. He could drop off this.

Yet he stayed hanging for a few extra seconds. It had been so much easier when jumping was in order to save a beautiful girl… But his arm wasn't going to hold him much longer. Donnie took several deep breathes before letting go. He hit the ground with a roll, taking some of the impact away from his legs. He came out of the roll kneeling and winced at the angry twitch his ankle gave him.

The pain was irrelevant now. He'd lost his ability to use the trees for a vantage point. His frustration rose and threatened to burst. Donnie squeezed his eyes shut, regulating his breathing and refocusing on the task at hand. Maybe he should rest now instead of pushing his luck. Fine. Good enough for now. He could keep looking later after he inspected his injuries.

As Donnie was about to stand, a shuffle nearby froze him in place. _Shell._


	7. Chapter 6 - Found

Carefully Donnie stood up and crept towards the sound. Maybe not the best move, but he wanted to know if the noise meant trouble before it hit him. Donnie winced at the soft crumple of the leaves underneath his feet. Not helping.

He rounded the tree that hid whatever had made the noise. There, snoring softly was Raph. He looked terrible, lacerations covered his body, but Donnie couldn't help an excited gasp escape his lips. He stepped closer, gingerly holding his shoulder, and accidentally snapped a branch.

 _Classic._

Donnie winced as Raph woke with a start, jumping up. Widely looked around, Raph's eyes met Donnie's. He stared for a few moments. Donnie thought he saw tears in his eyes but the moonlight made it difficult to confirm. He smiled, breaking the spell Raph was under. Raph whooped and grabbed Donnie into a tight hug, lifting him off the ground.

"You're here! I found you!" Raph exclaimed.

"Technically, I found you," Donnie replied, smiling. "And would you let go? My shoulder's injured." With that Raph dropped him, returning to a serious expression.

"You okay? What happened?"

"Nothing really. I was traveling in the trees and misjudged the distance. It's probably only a sprain," Donnie avoided eye contact with Raph but he could still feel his disapproval.

"What were you doing jumpin' around in the trees?" The judgment stepped easily into Raph's question.

"I had a better vantage point up there and it was safe from potential dangers." Raph raised an eyebrow. "You don't look to good yourself." Donnie added in defense. Raph shrugged, arms crossed.

"Ah well. Guess we both ran into trouble," Raph punctuated his point with a gentle punch on Donnie's uninjured arm. A small smile played across his lips. "Here let me wrap it up for ya then maybe you can sleep it off for a few hours before the sun comes up." Donnie raised an eyebrow at Raph's helpfulness but let it slide.

"Yeah, but I'm gonna have to check out those injuries of yours. They're not looking good." Donnie could see that some of the deer wounds were still bleeding. He'd have to make sure to check for infection.

Donnie's assessment was abruptly cut off by Raph forcing him to sit down. Donnie seceded for the moment, allowing his his mind wander as Raph began to work. He began trying to piece everything together as best he could.

They were in a forest, not native to New York at a time of year that was different from back home. So far there was no indication of a human presence here so it must be pretty isolated. He had no memory of how'd they'd gotten here but wherever here was they'd landed with their weapons and together. Probably.

"Hey, Raph." He looked up to meet his brothers bright green eyes. "You haven't seen the others, have you?" Raph met his question with a frown.

"No." He said curtly, going back to wrapping Donnie's shoulder. Donnie continued, even though the question was redundant, "Mikey?" Donnie saw Raph's shoulders tense but he didn't respond, he didn't have to.

"Don't even remember how we got here." He whispered.

"Me neither." Raph responded without looking up. His voice held a tinge of annoyance. Donnie sighed and went back to thinking.

"All done." Raph said after a few quiet moments. "You should get some sleep."

"Not before I check those wounds."

"Tomorrow. There's not enough light right now." Donnie was about to protest but Raph had crossed his arms and set his mouth in a straight line. Donnie knew there was no use trying to win that fight. He was tired anyway and a few hours sleep could help his mental processes.

"Wake me up as soon as the sun rises." He commanded. Raph nodded in agreement.

Satisfied, he curled up next to the same tree he'd found Raph sleeping against earlier. The bark scratched against his shell, the chilled air pushed into his lungs. Donnie relaxed.

Raph sat a few feet away, staring off into the forest. His green eyes swept back and forth across the landscape, intent and restless. Donnie suppressed the sympathetic reaction building his throat and forced himself to close his eyes. _Tomorrow._ Tomorrow they'd find them. Tomorrow they'd find Mikey. For now, he had to sleep.


	8. Chapter 7 - Desperate

Three days. It had been three long, agonizing days and Leo hadn't found even one of his brothers. Tears had been prickling at the back of eyes since he woke up this morning. So far, he'd succeeded in pushing them away but the urge grew with every passing moment, every new stretch of forest he didn't see his brothers. Leo stared at the ground. He was the leader. He didn't have time for tears. Right now, he had to focus on finding his brothers, on finding Mikey. Leo nervously shifted his crutch. _I'm coming, Mikey._

The trees sparkled in the early morning dew and strange bird calls echoed through the forest. The temperature had risen slightly with the rising sun, dispelling the morning fog and warming Leo's frozen skin. The night before had been especially cold since he'd been drenched from the storm a few hours before. He'd shivered the whole night wanting nothing more than to curl up with his brothers and sleep together like they did when they were little. Leo let a sigh escape his lips, letting his cloudy breath join the dissipating fog. He would find them. It was only a matter of time.

But his throat hurt and his stomach ached. He'd yet to find any sort of food he trusted or water source save for a few droplets of rain. He wasn't sure if he could survive another three days. He closed his eyes briefly, remembering the cool, wet drops falling down and across his tongue. No, he could keep going. He could do it.

Of course, it didn't help that the entire forest had turned into a giant puddle in the rain. The slime slipped and gushed under his feet in a vain attempt to suck him down into the earth.

He'd been tempted to comply. _Lie down, just for a breather._ It seemed to call to him. _Let your battered body rest._

Leo sighed. He was sure his leg was getting worse. The swelling had yet to go down and his leg bit painfully every time he almost lost his balance in the mud. The pain was overwhelming, monopolizing his attention and focus.

His thoughts swirled around ignoring the pain and hunger and thirst and avoiding the mud. He nearly missing the sound of slight buzzing to his right. Leo blinked refocusing his senses on pinpointing the unfamiliar hum. He walked a few steps towards where the noise seemed to be coming from, stepping around a particularly broad tree.

He paused. In the middle of a clearing, swarmed a cloud of insects, moving like a school of fish. The mass undulated, creating the effect of waves on a pond, and gently drifted around the glade. Spellbound, Leo watched the hypnotic motion. He felt his mind numb. He had to get closer. Leo took a mesmerized step forward. What _were_ they?

The swarm immediately froze, buzzing in place, as if staring straight at Leo. He gulped and slowly stepped back. The horde reacted instantly, racing straight towards Leo. He turned and ran as fast as he could, his leg burning with the effort, sending stabs of pain up to his hip but the humming behind him drove him on. He could hear the horde closing in, feel the air shift under their wings. His vision blurred with the pain and effort. He could feel himself slowing down.

The buzz grew to an angry roar as it closed the distance. Leo let out a gasp as he felt a prick on his arm. The sting immediately burst into searing pain, tearing at his muscles and making him cry out in pain. He shut his eyes. A shard dip in the landscape sent him flipping over and down a hill. As he tumbled, he forgot about the angry mob behind him, only comprehending the throbbing in his arm.

Leo crashed at the bottom of the hill, cracking his shell against a tree. He curled into fetal position, clutching his arm. His breath came out in ragged gasps. For a blissful moment, it was only his breath and the pain.

"Leo?" He opened his eyes slightly at the noise. They grew from slivers to wide circles at the sight of Raph leaning heavily on a tree, drenched in blood. "Leo?" Raph spoke again, pain threaded through his voice. "Leo, help." Leo tried to call out, to reassure his brother, but his throat caught and sent him choking on his own voice. "Leo." Raph murmured before collapsing just out of reach. Leo tried to move to his little brother, needing to hold the motionless body. His limbs felt like clay, dragging and heavy.

"Leo!" The oldest turned to see Donnie sprinting through the trees, the Foot at his heels. Leo tried to stand to fight, to protect Don, but his arms wouldn't obey him. Donnie cried out as the mob of foot soldiers caught up to him and covered him, all stabbing, stabbing, stabbing. Then, just as quickly as they had arrive the Foot vanished, revealing Donnie, eyes wide and unmoving. Tears of blood soaked his cheeks, his lips set in a wordless cry.

"Having fun, Leo?" Leo's attention snapped towards the new voice. Karai stood with Mikey held tightly in her grip. His little brother shook with the effort of trying to free himself. He was covered from head to toe in cuts and bruises but Karai just smiled as her grip tightened. Mikey choked out a yelp, eyes growing wide with panic. His feet kicked just above the safety of ground with the last of his energy, desperately trying to break from Karai's grasp. Then Mikey went still. Kara laughed and dropped the lifeless body right next to Leo's tear streaked face. "That's what you get for loosing your team." She mocked. Leo ignored her stinging words, crawling towards his little brother. "Mikey… Mikey…" He cried, his voice breaking. As soon as Leo reached his youngest brother he pulled him closer, cradling Mikey in his arms. As he lay there among his brothers corpses, Leo couldn't stop shaking.

* * *

 _Oh no! Poor Leo! Are his brothers really dead? I'll let you know Wednesday! In the mean time tell me what you think in the comments. I love to hear form you guys. :)_


	9. Chapter 8 - Fire and Water

Raph woke with a start. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. As the fogginess faded, he saw Donnie's put out expression.

"You were suppose to wake me up hours ago." Donnie said as he pointed to the sun halfway across the sky. Raph looked up and confirmed that Donnie was, in fact, correct. The sun finally bore through the clouds and burned his parched throat.

"Sorry," was all Raph gave him. He'd really only meant to sleep for a few minutes. He'd spent most of the few hours after Donnie'd fallen asleep, chest gently rising and falling, keeping an eye out with a small hope that Leo or Mikey would come wandering through the woods. His head did him in though. He'd sat down and close his eyes just to give his brain a break, just to stop the throbbing. Guess he'd fallen asleep.

"It's fine," Donnie reluctantly conceded. "We both clearly needed the rest. But we're going to have make up for lost time." Donnie didn't have to explain his urgency or the tension in his voice, Raph knew. "But before that, let me take a look at your injuries."

Raph relinquished and Donnie began studying the lacerations or, really, the puncture wounds. Most of the lesions were shallow and already beginning to close up but there were several that lay deep. Raph's right arm had a cut about five inches along his deltoid and a quarter inch deep. A laceration in his left leg ran down the length his thigh and looked to be almost a half inch deep. In both, the underlying, pink muscle lay exposed, the dark red blood gathered deep into the wound. _Not good._ Donnie looked up for a moment,

"How did you even get these?"

"Ran into a wolf. It attacked me and I scared it off." Raph replied.

"What?"

"What do you mean what? I told you —"

"No, no, no." Donnie cut him off, "Not that. A wolf? Just attacked you? Did you provoke it?"

"I'm not an idiot." Raph grumbled.

"But then why would it attack? Was it drooling excessively or, I dunno, crazy looking?"

"Like rabbis or something?" Donnie nodded. "Nah. It looked…" Raph hesitated. "focused… like it'd been looking for a fight." Donnie felt an inadvertent shiver fall down his spine. He shook his head. Maybe it did have rabies and Raph just didn't notice.

Donnie refocused on the wounds. He didn't need to waste time thinking about weird mammalian habits.

So far there was no infection but there was clearly debris and likely bacteria in the cuts. Donnie's forehead creased further, his frown deepening. These wounds needed proper treatment. He needed to disinfect the wounds and stitch up the major puncture wounds but he had none of his equipment and no access to medical supplies. Donnie swallowed his anger and sat back.

"There's not a whole lot I can do now. I don't have my medical kit with me," Donnie tried to keep his frustration from showing. "We'll just have to keep and eye out for infection. Let me know if these cuts change color, smell, or temperature. Right now all we can do wrap them." _And hope._ Raph simply nodded, indifferent to the danger Donnie knew he was in.

"Seriously, keep an eye out." Donnie added as he started wrapping the deeper cuts. Raph raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't say I wouldn't." With a glance at the look on Donnie's face, he added, "I'll keep an eye out." Donnie nodded in satisfaction.

"Now where to begin." Donnie spoke to himself as he stood from wrapping Raph's wounds. Raph rose to his feet, offering no suggestions. They stood in silence for a moment, feeling the vastness of the forest that lay heavy on their task. Raph switched his attention from Donnie to the trees, waiting for some clue. None arrived.

"There." Raph pointed, letting his irritation slip into the gruffness of his response. Donnie looked at him with watering eyes.

"Sure." Better to start somewhere than sit there twiddling their thumbs. Raph took the lead, letting the motion keep the hellish thoughts out of his head. A small noise from Donnie, made him pause.

"How hard did you hit your it?" Donnie asked, gesturing towards the back of his head.

"It's fine." Raph mumbled, jumping ahead to the next question.

"The bruising indicates otherwise." Donnie replied, raising a brow bone. Raph crossed his arms in defiance.

"It's nothin'. Can we keep walking?" Raph jerked his thumb in the direction they'd been headed.

"No, not until you tell me your symptoms." Donnie crossed his arms, paralleling Raph's stance. They stared each other down, testing the other's determination. Raph gave in with an eye roll.

"Bruising, pain, I think my vision got blurry too." Raph let out the little breakdown he'd had. Donnie didn't need to know.

"Definitely a concussion." Donnie nodded with a finger on his chin. "Jeez, Raph. Have you been trying to get yourself in trouble?" Raph glared.

"No less than you, Tarzan." He spat. Donnie relaxed his stance. He knew when to drop it. Something Raph appreciated more than he showed.

"Has the pain decreased at all?" Donnie continued. After a moment's hesitation, Raph nodded. "Good. I'll keep an eye on it but tell me if any of your symptoms get worse." Raph huffed and started walking. Donnie nodded in satisfaction.

Two hours later, Raph's patience was running dangerously thin and Donnie's anxiety was spiking to new heights. Their silence was finally broken with a yell, slicing the tension like butter. They exchanged a brief look of hope and horror before running towards the noise.

They found Leo writhing on the ground, screaming their names. Raph ducked down and placed a firm hand on Leo's shoulder.

"Leo. Hey, Leo. We're here, buddy. We're here. Calm down. Calm down." Leo seemed to respond to Raph's voice but tears continued to stream down his face. Only after one final convulsion did Leo stop twitching. Donnie knelt on Leo's other side, checking him over.

"What… I can't…" Donnie voiced his bewilderment. "Some sort of poison, most likely… Dilated pupils, rapid breathing and heart rate… possible seizure and hyperthermia… potentially an hallucinogen based on the symptoms… Definite fever…. There's a welt here… maybe.. well…" Donnie paused for another moment, eyebrows knitted together. "The swelling on his ankle is a separate issue. He'll need to stay off it for awhile…" Donnie half spoke to Raph, half to himself.

"What are we gonna do?" Raph asked, an edge to his voice.

"I don't know." Donnie mumbled. "I don't have any of my medical supplies and I'm not familiar with the possible medical properties of the plant species here." Donnie thought furiously, eyes darting back and forth across Leo. "The best we can do is try to make him comfortable, reduce his fever, and wait."

"What." Raph did nothing to hide the anger in the statement.

"I don't know what you want me to do Raph!" Donnie responded with exasperation. When Raph continued scowling, Donnie added, "We're in the middle of nowhere in an unknown location," He lifted his arms for emphasis. "Despite what you might think, I'm not a miracle worker!" Raph glared at him for another second before looking back down at Leo. His older brother was shaking slightly, his forehead drenched in sweat. "We can at least find running water. That way we can clean your wounds, get a cool cloth on his head, and give him something to drink to calm his fever." Raph nodded. Good. Something to do. "But we should stick together. No telling what we'll run into and we're in no shape to handle anything on our own." The fear of being separated again went unspoken. Raph nodded.

Gently, they each took an arm and lifted Leo off the ground. Donnie took the side that allowed him to keep Leo off his injured arm. Raph took the other, trying not to put too much pressure on his worst cuts. Leo moaned and leaned all his weight on his brothers. Raph grunted.

"Geez. Could he be any heavier?" Donnie just shook his head. Slowly, they shuffled off in the direction they were already facing (no point in doing anything except hope it was the right one).

The forest seemed to love making them walk in circles. It felt like days since they'd started looking for water, Leo's weight making the search difficult and long. Raph felt what little patience he had slithering away. He glanced up at the sky, trying to gage how long hey'd been walking but could only see monstrous, dark clouds had returned to cover every inch of blue. He returned his attention to his feet, frowning. The gashes in his skin from his fight with the wolf still stung and puckered angrily. His head was better but it still made it hard to focus on anyone thing for too long. His mouth felt like sand and his stomach ached angrily.

He took another side glance at Donnie who's face was creased with concentration and pain. Leo had yet to open his eyes or help carry his weight. They all looked terrible and Raph knew it.

"Goddamn it." He halted, anger finally bubbling over. "What the hell are we doing anyway?" When Donnie didn't respond he continued. "We just walkin' around in circles _hoping_ we _might_ run into a gently bubbling stream?" The sarcasm dripped from his voice. Donnie rolled his eyes and gently leaned Leo on a tree before turning on Raph.

"Well, what do _you_ think is best, hothead? You've got a better idea?" Raph growled.

"I'm just saying this plan is stupid. We don't even know how the hell we got here or who sent us and we're just gonna keep walking in some random direction, hoping our luck's gonna turn?"

"I don't know what you expect, Raph. I can't just snap my fingers and fix it." Donnie waved his arms in exasperation. "We don't have any other choice! And in case you haven't noticed, we've done surprisingly well considering all we've had on our sides is luck." He said gesturing towards Leo.

"Yeah? What about Mikey? Huh? What about him? Think he's feeling lucky?" Lightening cracked as Raph leaned into Donnie's face, spitting anger and hurt. Donnie blinked and looked down, avoiding Raph's gaze. His voice came out small.

"I don't know, Raph." They stood in silence for a long moment. Eventually, Raph stepped back and went back to pick up Leo. Donnie silently followed. As they lifted their older brother, Raph caught a whiff of smoke. He looked over at Donnie who's face was also a mask of brief confusion before going wide. "Forest fire." He rasped.

Raph quickly scanned the forest and saw thick, black smoke to their right. The flames would be on them in seconds.

This day just kept getting better.

"Put him on my back." Raph ordered. Donnie, to his credit, responded immediately, helping Raph maneuver Leo on to his shell. Using the wrap on his arm Raph was able to secure him.

A loud crack caught Raph's attention.

"Move!" Donnie yelled. And Raph did. He heard the crash of a tree hit behind him as he sprinted away, Donnie to his left. Sparks and shards flew at their backs,, bouncing off their shells and cutting into any exposed flesh. The fire was enveloping everything behind them fast. Raph could feel the heat wherever Leo wasn't covering his skin. He ran faster. The heat began to sting and the smoke wrapped around them, chocking out their air supply and drying out his already dehydrated throat.

"Look!" Donnie yelled before a coughing fit made him stumble. Raph slowed for a moment before seeing Donnie catch his balance. As Donnie ran to catch up, Raph looked where he'd pointed. Through the hazy smoke, he caught a glimpse of water, moving water. A slight smile spread across his face. He was on the bank in a second, launching himself and Leo into its cold depths. Sparks flew as the water enveloped them.

Raph gasped as they hit the surface again, heat blasting his face. He struggled to keep above water with Leo as dead weight but he was only able to catch a glimpse of Donnie breaking the surface before he was dunked below it.

The current of the river they'd fallen into was strong, the previous days rain swelling the river above it's usual waterline. It tugged Raph along, forcing him to succumb to its pull. He tried to reach the surface of the water so Leo could breath but the river never yielded. It yanked Raph away every time he got close.

A hard surface struck Raph in his plastron, forcing whatever air he had left out into the water. Raph's struggle doubled as he felt his vision blur. His dragged his arms against the current in a vain attempt to beat out mother nature but it was fruitless and eventually his vision dimmed and Raph let go.

* * *

 _Sorry about the hiatus! Had a bit of a tough week. Gave you all a bit of a longer chapter this week in order to make up for my not updated Wednesday. Hope you enjoy! And let me know what you think in the comments. I love hearing from you all :)_


	10. Chapter 9 - Relief

Donnie swam with the current, desperately trying to catch up to Raph and Leo. He'd only been a second behind them but, with his shoulder, that second was enough to give them a substantial head start. He broke the surface to catch his breath before ducking below again.

Donnie swam, desperately trying to avoid rocks and sunken tree trunks. Bark and stone scarped against his skin and shell, drawing blood on his unprotected flesh. Donnie reached out into the murky, debris clouded water, hoping to land a finger on one of his brothers.

He swam for what felt like hours, his body sore and weak. His arms slowed and the current did more of the work, beating Donnie against its unforgiving edges. His lungs burned with each passing minute, the current now too strong to allow him air.

Eventually, he hit a calm spot. Pulling himself up towards air, Donnie broke the surface, gasping, and scanned the edges of the river. No sign of them. Taking a deep breath, Donnie dove back into the muddy water. Hopefully, Raph and Leo had swam this far. _And hadn't drowned._ Donnie felt air catch in his throat. Through the cloudy water he was able to catch the silhouette of his brothers.

He swam to them and tucked his arm underneath Raph, steadying him. Raph's eye were closed and he wasn't breathing. Leo looked the same. He wasn't going to be able to carry both with an injured arm. He'd have to swim one to the banks first. It only took a moment's calculation before he cut Leo lose and grimly dragged his oldest brother towards the banks. He grunted with the effort it took to haul Leo out of the water, one hand hooked around his brother's belt and his injured arm there to steady him. Raph was right, Leo was heavy.

Once Leo's torso was out of the water Donnie set him down and checked his pulse. Still there. Faint but there.

Certain Leo was out of danger, Donnie dove back in for Raph. He held Raph in the same way he had Leo, kicking towards the surface with his brother in his arms. He lugged Raph next to Leo, again checking for a heartbeat. Nothing.

Donnie's whole world froze.

 _No no no. Come on, Raph._ Donnie turned to Raph, praying he hadn't chosen wrong. He started CPR, putting the last of his strength into the presses. Moments spread into what felt like hours. Raph wasn't responding. _Wasn't responding._ Each repetition became more desperate. Donnie shut his eyes and mumbled "I swear to god Raph, if you don't.." As if his brother heard him, Raph sputtered to life. He coughed out the water in his lungs before looking at Donnie clear eyed. Donnie let out the breath he'd been holding in.

Leo was next. Donnie could feel Raph anxiously watching over his should as he worked. _Come on, Leo. Come on._ Somehow Leo had avoided the worst of the river. His eyes fluttered open. Donnie and Raph let their body relax. Leo turned over and coughed up what little water was in his lungs before lying lay back down asleep.

Donnie checking on Leo's vitals. His heartbeat was weak but still pumped out a solid rhythm. The rest of his symptoms hadn't gone down much. The fever remained and Leo had begun whimpering again. Not for the first time, Donnie desperately wished that he knew more about herbal medicine.

"Anything you need me to do?" Donnie looked up and saw the reservation in Raph's face. He could see the thinly veiled worry that had stuck inside of Raph since they'd found Leo.

"Well," He looked around. "We're going to have to boil water somehow." He paused. "If you could gather a bunch of dry sticks and any sort of small, burnable underbrush that'd be helpful." Raph nodded.

As Donnie began weaving his wraps into a tight pouch, he thought about the peculiarity of their situation. With a downpour that was able to cause such a strong current, a forest fire that big or rapid shouldn't have been possible. That and the amount of rain in the past few days was surprisingly heavy for the end of fall. Donnie puzzled over possible explanations for a long time, silent and focused.

Half an Hour later, Raph had come up with a spectacular pile of wet leaves and damp twigs. Donnie looked at the pile unimpressed as Raph tried to look at anything else.

"Well—" Donnie started.

"Well what? This stuff's useless." Raph kick the sad pile, angrily crossing his arms. Donnie focused on the problem at hand. Leo really needed clean water. Not to mention, his throat was dry as the sun. He assumed Raph wasn't better off. It'd been several days since any of them had drunk any substantial amount of water but the river was teaming with bacteria. But maybe there was a way to get at clean water another way.

"Raph, lend me your sais." Raph grabbed at his sais defensively.

"Nuh huh. What ever you need to do with them, I can do." Donnie did a slight eye roll but he got it. Their weapons were important and more so they were theirs _._ He gestured to Raph to kneel next to him. He began clearing debris from a small area near the river.

"Dig here." He commanded. For once, Raph complied.

At about five inches water began seeping up from the damp ground beneath. It wasn't much but it was the best they had. After a few more inches, Donnie stopped Raph's furious, mud-covered hands. Gently, careful not to disturb any sediment, Donnie used his impromptu pouch to scoop up some of the water. He was delighted to see that only a little water drizzled out. He made a move to pass the water sack to Raph but the look in his brothers eyes made him change his mind.

He went over to Leo and sat him up at a slight angle. Leo groaned but showed no others signs of resistance. Gently, Donnie tipped some water into Leo's half opened mouth.

"Come on, Leo. Take the water." Donnie urged. After a stagnant moment, Leo swallowed, almost imperceptibly. Donnie, relieved, gave him a few more sips before laying his brother back down to rest. He handed it off to Raph before taking a gulp himself. The liquid that slide down his throat felt like magic.

* * *

 _I'm super sorry about the lack of updates this month! I got swamped with work and kinda lost some motivation. But I'm back! And I should be able to keep to my old schedule (Wednesdays and Saturdays). Thanks to every for sticking with me! We're nearing the end and I can't wait to see what you guys think! Special thanks to yukio87, Tigerluv, leggo lover 99, and Cat girl for your comments! I really appreciate the encouragement and am so thrilled that you guys are enjoying it! Who knows? Might get me to update a little sooner. ;)_


	11. Chapter 10 - Waking Up

For a few blissful moments, Leo felt good. Like really good. No worries, no pain, no coherent thoughts. Reality hit a few moments later. Growing sensations showed him that his body felt abused and broken. His leg throbbed, his arm pulsed with a dry heat, and his lungs felt like they were filled with a smoke. Leo turned over and tried to cough out the dryness. His eyes watered and his stomach curled. The last images before his black out took front and center.

"Leo?" A soft voice called. Leo blinked away the tears and saw Donnie surveying him, concern filling his deep brown eyes. Leo smiled.

"You're okay." He rasped, wiping residual tears away from his face.

"Yeah," Donnie smiled back, a confused look passing across his face. Leo sat up and put all his strength he had into a hug. Donnie chuckled. "Woah, Leo. Careful, you're gonna break me."

"Looks like fearless hit his head harder than we thought." A gruff voice joked from behind.

"Raph!" Never had he been so glad to see his hothead brother. He tried to get up but his muscles gave way under the exertion. Raph caught him on the way down, gently helping him back to his feet. Once he had his balance, Leo wrapped Raph in a hug. "Yeah. Definitely hit his head," Raph chuckled. Leo let go, still using Raph for support.

"Is Mikey here?" Leo asked hopefully. The look on his brothers' faces made the fear return. The on growing distress twisted his stomach in loops.

"We'll find him." Donnie placed a hand on Leo's shoulder, putting as much confidence as he could in to the statement. Leo nodded, returning to a leader's mindset.

"We should start looking now. We can update each other on our whereabouts as we search. Maybe together we can figure out what's going on."

"Woah, fearless. You just woke up. Might wanna give it a little while." Raph cautioned.

"No." Venom sliced through Leo's response. He didn't mean to sound that harsh but he let it stay. Raph's brow furrowed, anger flickering in his eyes.

"Raph's right, Leo." Donnie interceded. "I'm as worried as I am about Mikey, we aren't going to be much help to him in this state." Leo was about to retort but as he took in his brothers wounds and the pain of his own, Leo hesitated. Donnie had been slightly favoring his right arm, slight bruising and swelling punctuated his left. Raph was covered in scratches, a few ran deep, and dark circles rested under his eyes, indicated troubled sleeping. Leo doubted he look much better. He sighed.

"Fine. We take today. Catch each other up and then move after a night's rest." Raph's shoulders relaxed slightly and the two younger brothers nodded.

Guilt pricked his heart as Leo listened to Donnie and Raph's stories. He should've been there. He could tell they were leaving out some of the more sensitive details and he didn't want to imagine the unedited version. When it was his turn, Leo did the same, skimming over details, only telling the essential points of his story. He saw concern and worry crossed there faces despite his efforts to make the hazards he'd face sound trivial.

Donnie's face was easier to read than Raph's but the worry was there for both. When Leo finished, they sat in silence for a moment before Donnie spoke up, already in genius mode.

"What seems to be worth our attention is the fact that we all woke up with the same symptoms. Plus, we are in a forest not native to New York and a season that's different from the one we came. Thirdly, the odd animal behavior is worth our attention."

"What do you mean "odd animal behavior?" Leo questioned.

"Well, wolves usually don't attack unless provoked and they almost never hunt alone. Also, I've never heard of an insect that attacks and poisons their victims the way they did you, Leo." It had been weird, Leo realized thinking about it.

"So what's that mean?" Raph asked, impatience clear in his voice. Donnie's shoulders slumped.

"I have no idea." Silence descended, filled instead by the call of nocturnal animals.

"I'm sure it'll make sense soon." Leo reassured his younger brother. " _Don't worry. You'll figure it out,"_ was the unspoken message. "In the mean time we should get some sleep." Donnie nodded, eyes downcast, before clearing a little space and lying down. Raph let out a dissatisfied huff before following his brother's lead.

Leo stayed up for a little while longer, planning out strategies for every scenario his mind could conjure up. He felt doubt take hold in his chest as he looked over his brothers sleeping figures, their sides moving gently up and down. He should feel better now that he'd found two of his brothers but the worry still tugged at him, keeping him from sleep. _We're coming, Mikey._ Leo looked over at the slight movement of Donnie shifting in his sleep. His soft snore pairing with the chatter of insects.

"Go to sleep, fearless." Raph mumbled over his shoulder, back facing his older brother. Leo looked over at Raph for a moment before finally lying down. He stared up at the millions of stars that peaked through the trees. There was nothing like it under the city lights. Here each star shined and glimmered, distinct from its many brothers. _Mikey would love this._ Leo thought absentmindedly. He frowned, turning on his side and focusing on the soft breathing of his other two brothers. His eyes eventually closed, lulled by the sounds of their steady breathing.

A soft growl rose from the forest depths. Two yellow eyes peered into the makeshift campsite, the dying fire flickering in its eyes. A few moments later, more pairs of yellow eyes joined the first and a slow growled echoed across the pack. _Soon._ Once the prey was completely lulled into vulnerable sleep, they'd attack. For now, the alpha continued to eye its next meal, feeling the dull pain from past wounds. He bared his teeth, signaling the rest of the pack.

* * *

 _Sorry for being a little late on this! Life's still pretty busy. Thanks for all the people who've followed and liked this story! Excited to have you reading :)_

 _Next week: Mikey..._


	12. Chapter 11 - Mikey

The first two days had been unbearably boring. Mikey had woken up hurting all over and with the worst stomach ache he'd ever had, which was saying something. He'd reluctantly opened his eyes to a bright blue sky. Confused he'd sat up, fighting the urge to throw up, and looked around. His brow creased.

He was held midair, just high enough that the tops of the trees brushed the invisible floor. Carefully walking around what turned out to be a box, Mikey found it was about big enough to do three back flips both ways and high enough that he could touch the ceiling on his tippy-toes. Mikey had amused himself with exploring his invisible containment for about five minutes, enough to confirm there was no way out. He'd tried hitting the wall with a fearsome kick and several hits with his nunchucks but each blow just bounced off harmlessly. Mikey frowned. He had no idea how he'd gotten stuck here and, worse, he had no idea where his brothers were.

Mikey had felt worry claw its way into his stomach but he'd pushed it back, reassuring himself that his brothers would find him and explain what was going on. He just had to wait. He had settled on distracting himself by imagining himself fighting different villains from his comics, acting out the choreography with plenty of enthusiastic cries.

Sadly, the activity left him aching for something to drink. Mikey realized, a little late, that he had no source of water or food. _Well,_ he thought, _I'm sure Donnie will have some water when he shows up. In the meantime, might wanna chill so I don't get any more thirsty._ Satisfied, he counted the clouds, creating stories behind what each one looked like. Once the clouds became too numerous with the oncoming storm, Mikey gave up. He lay spread eagle waiting for the rain until he fell asleep.

* * *

Somehow, his unbreakable box allowed air and water through so Mikey woke up completely soaked. He'd opened up his mouth and let the rain drops sooth his parched throat. After a few minutes with his mouth hung open, Mikey realized he might not get this kind of rain again. He had to collect water for later. He looked over his box, thinking. Nothing else in the box but himself.

That was it! He unwrapped his bandages and began weaving them tightly together. His tongue stuck out in concentration. When he finally finished, he lifted up his makeshift water pouch. Thankfully, the rain lasted long enough for him to collect enough water to fill the pouch. Satisfied with his accomplishment, Mikey shifted his attention to the ground, watching the forest below, occupying himself by memorizing the piece of nature he could see. As the rain cleared, he could see a few animals scamper down below. There was a squirrel nesting in a tree next to him that he watched with particular diligence, naming him Mr. McNutter, although there was the possibility he was was a she. Mikey shrugged.

As Mikey watched Mr./Mrs. McNutter bring nuts back into the hole in the tree, Mikey felt his stomach growl. He pressed his hands against his stomach and sighed. He'd never gone this long without food. His appetite was huge as it was and, without food for who knows how long, Mikey's stomach ached in a relentless demand for food.

There was nothing he could do now so he lay on his back and looked up at the emerging stars. Their fainted glimmer shown through the dark purple sky as the sun began to set for the second time since Mikey had woken up. He stared as the light faded and the stars got brighter. He heard Mr./Mrs. McNutter scampering back into the tree for the night. Mikey sighed as his stomach refused to be forgotten with anger grumbles. _Not helping._ He'd also rationed what little water he had in a sudden stroke of thoughtfulness so his tongue begged for water. Mikey turned on his side and squeezed his eyes shut. He imagined his brothers coming for him, offering a big pizza and a huge glass of water as they crashed through the invisible walls of his box. Mikey smiled and tried to push aside his worry long enough to rest.

* * *

On the third day, as Mikey lay face down, watching Mr./Ms. McNutter bury nuts in the forest floor, he caught a glimpse of an odd kind of movement to his right. He pressed his nose to the floor and squinted. His eyes widened and a smile grew across his face.

"Leo!" He called. He knew his brothers would find him! Mikey frowned. Leo didn't even look his way, he just kept walking, or limping rather.

"Leo!" Mikey cried more desperately, banging on the wall of his box in a frantic attempt to get Leo's attention. "Leo!" Mikey called out again, confusion playing across his face. He tried calling out again but the sound got caught in his throat. All Mikey could do was watch Leo disappear into the forest.

Mikey sat back, breathing heavily. Tears streamed freely now, Mikey leaned against his cell wall. He knew Leo would've turned if he'd heard him but somehow the walls kept noise in and him invisible. How would his brothers rescue him if they couldn't hear or see him?

A burst of fear flew into his heart. Mikey immediately stood and began attacking the sides of his prison with renewed vigor. He gave his blows all he had, taking out all his fear and frustration. Bang! Bang! Bang! But the walls never faltered.

Finally, Mikey sank to his knees, exhausted. What if he were stuck here forever? What if his brothers never came? Mikey shook his head. His brothers would find him. They were smart and resourceful and his big brothers. Things would work out. They always did. They always came for him. Even when he'd get lost in the sewers as a toddler, Leo or Raph or Donnie would come charging after him. He'd gotten lost for over a day once but he'd never doubted his brothers. But now, he wasn't so sure… With that thought echoing through his head Mikey set about distracting himself some more.

* * *

Mikey had lost track of time. He figured it'd been about three or four days since he'd last seen Leo but he wasn't sure. The days had begun to run together after that. With nothing to distract or engage him, Mikey had spent whole days staring up at the sky or down at the forest floor. With his depleted water supply and increasing anxiety, he was beginning to loose his mental battle. It kept nagging him. There was no way his brothers could help him. They could be injured or dead by now. They had their own problems to deal with and no way to find him. Mikey weakly pushed the thought from his head. No, they'd find him. He was their little brother. They'd drop everything for him. Mikey was sure. _Mostly._

Mikey groaned and turned on his side.

He froze, catching sight of the new visitor. At the opposite end of his cell, Mikey spotted a snake staring straight at him. He had no idea how it had gotten there but somehow it had snuck in without him noticing. He wondered how long it'd been coiled there, motionless.

Mikey gulped and slowly sat up. He pushed himself as far away from the snake as possible, forcing himself into the opposite corner. The effort and stress left him dizzy. His hunger was beginning to take a real toll. He blinked a few times and refocused on the snake. It had white stripes all down the length of its dark blue body. As the snake shifted, Mikey could see the flat head and beady black eyes turn to get a better look at him.

"Hi, ninja snake." Mikey tried to crack a smile. The snake hissed and the smile immediately left his face.

As day turned to night, Mikey ached to lie down and rest his aching joints but every time he tried to shift to a new position, the snake hissed and menacingly arched its head. So Mikey spent the rest of the that night and the following day, in an uncharacteristically still position, only making small movements when his body hurt too much to keep ignoring. The snake's weirdly still, focused position and its creepy eyes made Mikey more scared than he'd ever felt. He hadn't been able to sleep since the thing showed up and he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to sleep again tonight. He shivered and the snake twitched. Mikey resumed his paralyzed position.

The moon hung high in the sky as Mikey's head began to droop. His eyes felt like brick and his body was at its limit. The snake's hiss had almost become background noise but as Mikey finally allowed himself to give in to sleep, he heard a particularly nearby hiss. Mikey's eyes shot open. The snake had cut the distance between them in half. It moved its head slowly from side to side and Mikey felt adrenaline rush his body, keeping his eyes open against all odds. After a few silent moments where only the crickets screeched, the snake finally made its move. It shot forward with incredible speed.

In his exhausted state Mikey had no time to dodge the attack. Instead, his arm flung up between his face and the snake's outstretched fangs. Mikey screamed as the teeth met with his arm and sunk deep into his skin. Mikey flung his arm around in an attempt to slam the snake into the wall. By the time his arm made contact with the side of his cell, the snake had disappeared from his forearm. Mikey swung around, searching for the snake but it had disappeared. Mikey let out a breath and stumbled forward, his eyes growing heavy again. His body began to loose its responsiveness. Quietly, Mikey collapsed. His sluggish breathing could only be heard by a single being. The moon cast its shadow over the unconscious turtle. The onlooker's teeth gleamed in the moonlight, forming a crooked smile. Mikey shivered.

* * *

 _So sorry for the hiatus. Life got crazy again. Thanks for sticking with me. :) Hope you guys had a fantastic holiday season! And don't forget to tell me what you think in the comments!_


	13. Chapter 12 - Attack

A low growl entered Leo's sleeping mind. His brow furrowed as he tried to flip over and block out the noise but it refused to be forgotten. Leo sat up ready to yell at whatever loudmouth it was but as he opened his eyes, he was met with a pair of yellow slits. He swallowed. Glancing over at his brothers sleeping figures and back at the cold eyes, he quickly formulated a plan of action. The growl deepened with the impending attack.

The wolf charged forward. Leo leapt up, pulling out his katanas.

"Raph! Donnie!" He yelled. They were awake immediately, alarmed by the edge in his voice. Their hands want straight to their weapons as the sleep quickly cleared form their eyes. The wolf pack was on them in seconds, scattering their little band and sending the night into chaos. Leo quickly adjusted to the little light the setting moon gave, dodging a claw to the face just in time.

He listened for the sounds of Donnie and Raph's scuffle. He backed towards the grunts and the clamor of weapons. He blocked a bite to his right and knocked away a charge to his left, feeling his body protest each movement. When his shell connected with his brothers, he felt his shoulders relax a little and his focus narrow in on the enemy. From what he could hear and glean from the glimpses he caught of his brothers, they seemed to be defending well but they were all injured and the pack had boundless ferocity. They'd need a new plan and fast. The pack seemed concentrated behind him.

"Get ready to run. Keep up with me. We'll try to outrun them." Leo knew they wouldn't be able to stay ahead for long but they might be able to use the trees to their advantage and at least loose a member or two of the pack. Rao and Don grunted their consent. "Now!" Leo yelled and sprinted for the light outline of the trees, away from the river. He heard his brothers behind him. He ducked another attack and slashed at the jaws of another. The wolf squealed before hitting a tree with a thud.

Leo's leg screamed in protest but the adrenaline coursing through his blood helped him ignore it. Surviving was more important now.

He heard Donnie's huffing to his left and Raph grunt to his right as they sprinted through the trees. The pack was close behind. He heard a couple clashes of teeth and wood before hearing a yelp from Donnie. Leo took a quick glance and saw Donnie gripping his side. He was still running but slowing down. Leo drooped behind to deflect some attacks from behind. Raph had the same idea and swung to Donnie's injured side, slashing at any wolf that got close enough to his sais. As they continued to run, Donnie's breath became more ragged and his steps more unsure.

"Come one, Donnie. Just a little farther." Leo could feel the wolf pack falling behind. He just hoped Donnie could hold on a little longer.

The sun's rays began to peak over the horizon as Leo heard the last of the wolf pack fall behind. He slowed his pace a little, allowing Donnie to catch his breath. After a few moments, Leo felt sure, by some miracle, they'd outrun the pack. He put a hand on Donnie's shoulder, indicating he could slow to a walk. Donnie visibly relaxed, nearly falling to his feet. He hunched over, eyes squeezed shut.

"How ya doin?" Raph asked, approaching his injured side.

"Nothing major." Donnie waved him away. "I'll be fine." Raph frowned, clearly doubting Donnie's assurances. Leo saw the blood dripping between the fingers that clutched his side.

"We can stop and rest, Don." Leo offered, feeling his leg twinge in agreement. Donnie shook his head.

"We should keep walking. Just in case." He stood up for emphasis. Leo and Raph exchanged a look.

"Ok but first we're wrapping that." Leo gestured towards Donnie's injury. Donnie paused before opening his hand to let Leo take a look.

The gash ran down his shoulder and underneath his arm, stopping at his shell. Leo took the bandages that were already there, holding his brother's injured shoulder, and rewrapped them to also cover the bleeding wound. They would need to get back home soon or Donnie would be in danger of dying from blood loss. Hopefully the bandages would slow the bleeding.

Leo stood, gently patting Donnie on the shoulder and giving him what Leo hoped was an encouraging smile. Donnie weakly smiled in return.

"Alright, let's keep walking."


	14. Chapter 13 - The Glade

As the trio shuffled forward, their sprits tanked to an all time low. They'd gotten stuck in the old pattern of walking in some random direction and hoping it'd take them where they needed to go. Raph was almost too tired to be angry.

They broke through a line of bushes and entered a small glade. It looked like a small paradise, the sun highlighting the bowed branches that shaded the area but Raph didn't admire it.

Donnie inhaled sharply. Leo and Raph looked up from their feet. Donnie's face was a mix of shock and anger. A look Raph had never seen on his brother's face before. Raph followed Donnie's gaze and his stomach flipped.

There in the middle of the glade, hung Mikey. His arms were pulled towards the trees with thick rope that wrapped the entire length of his limbs as the rest of his body hung limply in a straight line.

Raph's heart rate spiked as he looked over his little brother. He had lost a lot of weight, his collar bone stuck out clearly and the circles under his eyes were a deep purple. Blood ran down his right arm and slowly dropped to the ground. Raph began to tremble in fury. The throbbing in his head returned. Donnie gripped his staff so hard his knuckles turned white. Leo's face was unreadable.

"I'm cutting him down." Raph growled after a several seconds of terrible silence. Leo nodded his consent, "We'll need to think about this with our injuries though."

"Look. I can still climb that tree and drop him down to you," Raph asserted. "Think you can catch him?"

"We should probably cut both sides down at the same time." Leo replied. "I'll try to time my shuriken to hit at the same time you do." Raph nodded before jogging over to the nearest tree.

"I guess I'll just wait here." Donnie grumbled. Raph heard Leo mumble something to Donnie that seemed to calm him down. It took Raph a few painful jumps to get high enough, his wounds felt like they reopened. Raph check his arm. In fact, they had. Blood tricked down the deepest cut in his arm. _Great._ "You ready up there?" He heard Leo call.

"Uh. Yeah." Raph refocused on the task.

"Ok then. On three," Leo ordered. "One, two, three." On three, Raph slashed through the rope on his side as Leo's shuriken sliced through on the opposite side. Mikey dropped. He let out a small whimper as Leo caught him with a small grunt.

Raph climbed down, ignoring the renewed pain of the lacerations on his body. By the time he jogged back over, Leo was already trying to calm down their whimpering little brother. "We're here, Mikey. We're here." Leo continued to coo as Donnie methodically checked him over. Raph felt his anger subside a little. A least, Mikey was back with them. At least, now he could protect him.

As Raph took a knee next to his brothers as deep, rumbling laugh echoed across the glade. Raph scanned the area for the source of the noise.

"Poor little turtle. His brothers were too late." Raph's chest tightened, fear and anger again chilling his heart. Out of the corner of his eye a flash of red appeared. Raph looked to see a menacing, russet colored dragon. It towered in the glade. It's head brushed the canopy. It's massive tail slid in a serpentine pattern behind it, adding a foreboding element to it's already intimidating aura. It's giant, glinting claws wrapped around an odd looking, T-shaped staff. Gold wrapped around the base leading up to a ruby laid at the intersection of the T. The dragon's black eyes caught Raph's as he glared. As the beast's laugh resounded across the glade, Leo's eyes narrowed and Raph's fists clenched.

"What do ya mean too late?" Raph growled. The dragon smiled a grin full or dagger teeth.

"The poison is spreading through his system as we speak. He has hours to live." Raph poised to attack but Leo held him back, clearly trying to control his own anger as well. The dragon chuckled. "Smart choice. As it is, I have the antidote. I'm still deciding whether or not to give it to you." His smiled widened as all three turtles tensed.

"How can we convince you to hand it over?" Leo asked. Raph shit Leo a look but the eldest just shook his head slightly.

"Good question, mutant," he hissed with slight disgust. "You may have it if," he dragon paused for dramatic effect, "you agree to play my game for the rest of eternity," He paused again. "Or until I get tired of your sad, little faces." Raph's scowl deepened.

"And what's to say we can't just take it from ya?" Raph threatened. The dragon snickered.

"You are welcome to try but you'll just be waisting your time."

"I don't see any antidote on you. What's to say you'll keep up your end of the agreement." Leo countered.

"Ah, don't fret. I have it right here." As he said this, the dragon flipped out what resembled a syringe. Twirling it in his claws the dragon continued, "As to your second question, if I am to enjoy toying with you for the rest of your pitiful lives, I can't have you dying on me." He paused, considering, before adding, "At least not so soon." Raph shot a look at Leo who looked hard at Raph and shook his head.

Raph didn't care. He leaped towards the dragon, sais shining dangerously at his side. Leo called out as Raph attacked head on. The dragon easily countered, tossing Raph towards the ground. But he was up in a flash, striking again, harder and faster. Raph could feel his rage seep into his attacks. The pain in his limbs and head sparked fiercely, breaking his concentration further. The image of scared Mikey urging him to strike faster, hit harder. Vicious and merciless. _Don't let this monster touch your brothers again._ It said. Raph swung again but it sailed a little wide and the creature knew it. He grabbed Raph by the wrist, twisting his arm around and forcing Raph to kneel.

"I think it's time to end this little game," the beast chuckled. Raph felt his blood run cold.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed! I'll try and update tomorrow!_


	15. Chapter 14 - The End

Donnie watched in horror as Raph charged the dragon head on. Sure, he was angry too but what did Raph think he was going to accomplish? As expected, Raph got himself in trouble. Raph was the toughest of all them so watching his sweat and heavy breathing sent a pang of fear though Donnie's heart.

If it had been any other opponent at any other time Raph could've gotten out of the hold but Donnie could see his legs shaking underneath the giant, clawed hand. Donnie was a pacifist but looking down at Mikey and back at Raph, he amended his belief. Only non-psychopaths get mercy.

"So what's your choice? Play my game or die?" the dragon challenged.

Donnie saw Leo glance at Mikey leaning against his plastron. Mikey's face was a mask of pain, eyes squeezed shut, sweating and feverish. Donnie had gently set him this way so as to make sure the bite was below his heart. Donnie kept very still so as not to encourage the flow of the poison. Leo looked back up at Donnie. Donnie looked back.

 _I'm not making this decision for you, Leo._ He thought. Leo sighed as if to respond.

"Alright. We accept your deal." Leo spoke with a hardness in his voice.

"Good." The dragon smiled displaying each of its massive fangs. "Not that you really had a choice." The dragon grinned wider.

"Now hold up you end of the bargain!" Leo demanded. The dragon chuckled. Donnie was really growing to hate the noise. It grated on his nerves more than Mikey in his lab.

"Of course. But first, I want you to understand the helplessness of your situation." The beast continued, "I want you to feel the pain of knowing that being alive is worse than death." It raised the staff slightly before a blast of light struck each turtle in the head.

With that, a shock of memories flooded Donnie's mind. He remembered yelling at Raph and Mikey to quiet down since his latest project required the utmost concentration. He couldn't focus with them yelling. Right as Raph tackled Mikey a portal suddenly opened in the middle of the lair. It was different from the Kraang portals in its circular and blue nature. The three brothers froze. Donnie's mind was running fast trying to figure out what it could be, what it's likely purpose was when Leo stepped out of the dojo probably to ask what had made them all go quiet when a clawed foot emerged from the hole.

Donnie grabbed his staff from where it leaned on the wall next to him, hearing the unsheathing of Leo's katanas and Raph's sais as the full creature emerged. The dragon stood tall, its angular head almost touching the ceiling. As it surveyed the room it let out a cackled.

"What do you want?" Leo's voice cut through the grating noise. The dragon had turned it's massive head with much interest as it regarded Leo. After a moment, it smiled. Without responding, it turned it's attention towards Mikey.

"I think I'll enjoy playing with you." It finally spoke. Mikey's eyes grew huge before narrowing.

"Gotta meet my friends first." He responded, nunchucks whirling. The dragon laughed, focusing the staff on the youngest brother. The center glowed blue before enveloping them all in a bright flash. The last thing Donnie remembered was the dragons voice echoing, "Run, run, run, little mutants." Its horrible laugh, punctuated the threat.

Donnie felt a crushing sensation. His lungs felt like they'd collapsed, his heart beat slowed. That flash of light had conveyed a level of diabolical that he could barely comprehend. The amount of endless pain that beast had in mind for them was unbearable. Even as Donnie tried, he knew there was no calculating a plan out of this. With that staff, that…that _bastard_ had complete control.

"Excellent." The dragon cooed as it surveyed the turtles. Each of their faces an expression of pure horror. After a few moments, it pulled out what Donnie assumed to be Mikey's cure. It spun the syringe in its massive claws, enjoying the way it made each of the turtles snap back into attention. The beast cracked another smile before tossing over the syringe. Leo was the fastest to react. He dove to catch it as it arched a few feet short of where Mikey lay on Donnie's plastron. Leo caught it in shaking hands. Donnie saw Raph let out a breath of relief before turning to glare at the dragon. It pretended not to notice.

Raph struggled out from underneath the dragons claws, running over to Donnie as Leo handed him the injection.

"How do we know it's not going to make him worse?" Raph asked. Donnie hesitantly took the syringe from Leo's hand.

"We don't," Leo spoke the truth Donnie knew. "But he clearly wants us around for his sick game." Leo spit out the words. "Plus, I don't think we really have a choice." He added softly. Donnie nodded and swallowed.

"Here goes." He mumbled as he slowly injected the antidote in Mikey's arm. Mikey moaned but otherwise didn't respond. Donnie saw Raph twitched in nervousness and impatience out of the corner of his eye. Leo remained perfectly still.

For a terrifying moment, Mikey seemed to stop breathing but after what seemed like eternity he took a deep breath. Each of the brothers let out the breath they'd been holding. They looked up at each other, Donnie and Raph turning towards Leo. The message was clear.

"So who are you anyway? And why are you so interested in us?" Leo asked. They had to keep the beast talking while they waited for the cure to work. They couldn't let him separate them before knowing the antidote saved Mikey. And clearly, the dragon liked to talk. The beast's smile reappeared with the returned attention.

"Quiet the story. Full of revenge and hatred as all the best stories are." The dragon looked up almost dreamily.

"He's insane." Raph mumbled to Leo.

"It started years ago. I began as a young dragon so full of wonder and potential. I knew I was destined for great things, great acts of terror and destruction! I honed my skills on nearby villages, challenging each of the communities best warriors, until my skills grew too great and I was hard pressed to find a true challenger in my world!" The dragon paused, looking lost in thought. Donnie was about ready to scream before it continued. "It was then that I discovered this staff." The dragon grow more animated with each word, lifting up the staff dramatically. "I won it in one of my last fights on my home world and discovered this beautiful weapon allowed me to freely travel the dimensions, searching for more competitors to defeat! And competitors I found! I defeated all the dimensions best! Making a name for myself. A name synonymous with fear and power." It's teeth were on fully display at this point with it's chest puffed out and it's smile splitting his face in half.

Then, the dragon's face suddenly darkened. "Then I ran into your sensei… that rat." It spit out the last word like it a bitter seed. "I saw his fighting prowess against a formidable foe and decided he was worth my skills. I challenged him to a duel and he refused!" The dragon looked at the turtles as if looking for sympathetic astonishment in their faces. It got nothing so it explained, "I was aghast. How dare some simple creature decline my challenge! Preposterous! I attacked anyway of course but that rat refused to do anything but dodge my attacks. I became blind with rage and in my weakened state he dealt a blow that left me defeated."

It looked down, claw to his chest, waiting for sympathy. When, again, it received none, the dragon continued, "He offered his hand but I refused such a demeaning gesture! How dare he trick me and then treat me like a fool to be pitied! I left in a rage and carefully plotted my revenge." A grin spread across the dragon's rows of teeth. "When I discovered how deeply he cared for the creatures under his care I knew I had found my opportunity. I would take you away from him, make you suffer in his stead and let him wallow in guilt and shame, cursing the day he ever denied Drako, the greatest warrior the multiverse has ever known!" The grin turned into a wild laugh.

"If you're so great, how come we've never heard of ya?" Raph spit out. Leo and Donnie looked at Raph in shock. The dragon's eyes narrowed.

"I'm recognized across the dimensions. I do not need your recognition."

"Ha. Yeah, sure you don't, Mr. All Great and Mighty." Raph lay the sarcasm down thick. "Bet you can't even defeat your grandma in a fight." He continued taunting despite Donnie and Leo's desperate motions to get him to stop talking. Smoke began to curl from the dragon's nostrils and his eyes turned to slits.

"You insolent turtle. You do not know to whom you speak."

"I know I'm talking to a coward who can't handle getting beat by an old man." Raph spat, arms crossed and eyes angry. The dragon roared.

"You WILL learn humility, TURTLE." The dragon raised the staff high above his head and called out some words in an ancient language. "YOU WILL SUFFER UNDER MY WRATH!" The staff shivered then glowed in a bright red light. Donnie looked on in horror. This was it. This was were they ended. All because of Raph's stupid temper.

A dark vortex bloomed behind it and began pulling at everything around it. Donnie searched around for anything to grab on to. His fingers caught on a root hidden in the leaves. He wrapped a protective arm around Mikey and hoped he had enough strength in his injured shoulder.

As he looked up again to see Leo and Raph also gripping at half buried roots, he the dragon's face turned from fury to horror as the hole began to have its affects on its master. "NO! I command you!" The beast screamed but he staff paid no mind, it hung on its own as the dragon dropped to claw, desperately raking the ground. Its claws dug deep into the ground but it did nothing. It was too close to the vortex. Its large body was too much to hold down. Its grip on the ground released under the pressure of the blackhole. First, the tip of its horrible tail slipped into the inky blackness. Then it's hind legs. Then its massive torso. Within moments, the whole beast had been sucked into the blackness and the staff dropped, quiet in the leaves.

The turtles looked at each other in confusion and amazement. The only indication that anything had happened were the deep claw marks in the dirt. Eventually, the silence broke.

"Dudes. What happened?" Mikey groaned as he tried to sit up. The three brothers turned their attention to their little brother.

"Mikey!" Donnie chimed, hugging him closer despite his protests.

"Dude! Chill! I'm not going anywhere!"

"You're ok!" Leo exclaimed putting a hand on his little brother's shoulder.

"Good to see ya, little bro." Raph said as he patted Mikey on the head.

"You too. Glad to see you guys are okay." Mikey mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Well, mostly." He added as he took a real look at his brothers.

They'd all grown thin, covered in injuries of their own, and tired.

"How are you feeling?" Donnie asked.

"Terrible." Mikey frowned. "And so hungry." His stomach grumbled in response. They all smiled despite themselves.

"We'll get you food soon, little brother." Leo promised. Mikey nodded and smiled a little.

"Think we can use this, Donnie?" Raph asked picking up the staff.

"I don't know. That dragon… Drako… didn't seem to have much luck."

"But I bet it's how he got us here." Leo added.

"What?" Mikey looked dazed.

"We'll explain later." Donnie reassured him. Mikey nodded and yawned.

Raph walked back over to stand near his brothers. As soon as he reached them, the staff begun to shake.

"Woah!" Raph eyes went wide, almost dropping the thing entirely.

"What's it doing?" Leo asked, worry reaching his tone.

"I don't know." Donnie replied, voice reaching a higher pitch.

"Maybe it's taking us home." Mikey mumbled. With that the blue light returned and a blue portal appeared. The three older brothers stared at the new opening in the glade. Mikey continued to rest in Donnie's arms.

Raph looked over to Leo. They seemed to communicate silently for a second before Raph shrugged. Leo looked back at the portal, thinking for a moment, before turning to help Donnie lift Mikey. Raph was at their side instantly taking most of Mikey's weight off Donnie which the younger brother gratefully accepted. With that, the four brothers stumbled to the portal. Together they stepped in, without hesitation, and disappeared.

The portal stayed for a fraction of a second after they'd all gone before zapping shut. All that remained was the quiet whisper of the forest leaves.

* * *

 _Hope you all enjoyed! I'll be posting an epilogue in a few days. In the mean time tell me what you think!_

 _(Also, for those of you who are confused why you got an update for this chapter a second time, someone pointed out to me that I missed a section. What is now chapter 12 use to not be there. Thanks for y'all's patience!)_


	16. Epilogue

_I know it's been forever. I wrote this epilogue two years ago but never got around to posting it. I was hoping to go through and edit all my chapters but I never had the time or energy. So I think, despite its imperfections, it's time to let this baby go. Thank you wholeheartedly to everyone who liked, followed, read, and/or commented. It meant the world to me. Hopefully now that I'll have the summer to myself again, I'll have time to do some new writing. Forever onwards!_

* * *

It had been a couple days since they'd gotten back. No sign of Drako but that didn't make Mikey feel much better. Everyone kept giving him these weird looks, like he was about to break. It sucked. And it was starting to get on his nerves. He just wanted things to go back to normal. So Mikey got to working on it the best way he knew how. His pranks got better, sneakier, and more creative. He kept expecting people to laugh it off like usual or at least yell at him but no one did. They'd just give him that stupid look. Even Raph didn't get as mad as usual. Nothing was working.

Finally, Mikey thought of what he considered the best prank ever. It was sure to illicit some reaction. Anything but that stupid face. As he was filling the sink with water balloons, Leo walked in on him. Mikey immediately turn around blocking Leo's view.

"Hey, Leo!" He greeted, smile and all. Leo gave a small quirk of his lips but that was all.

"Hey, Mikey. What are you up to?"

"Um. Nothing." Mikey shifted a little, adjusting to make sure Leo couldn't see and ruin the surprise.

"Uh huh." Leo replied, smiling and crossing his arms. There it was. A tiny moment of normalcy. Mikey in trouble. Leo scolding him. He'd nearly forgotten how that felt. But then Leo's face dropped and Mikey lost that feeling. The crash was worse. His smile faltered for a second. "Hey, Mikey…" Leo started, "I know you haven't really wanted to talk about it…" And there it was that ugly conversation, rearing its fat head.

"Seriously, dude. It's fine. Nothing to worry about." Mikey waived his hand, dismissing the notion that anything could be bothering him. He just wanted things to go back to the way they use to be.

"It's not fine, Mikey." Leo protested, almost angry. "It's clearly not fine. You've been acting anxious ever since we got back and we're use to your pranks but these are excessive." Leo started moving closer. Mikey backed up, forgetting about his balloons. "It's every day, Mikey. If you want attention, just tell us." That hit a nerve.

"It's not about attention!" Mikey spat. Leo took a step back in shock.

"Then what is it?" He asked, in his nicest most motherly tone. It grated on Mikey. He just didn't get it.

"I want things to go back to normal! Okay? Just… normal." Mikey could hear the pleading in his voice. "Everyone's been acting weird lately and I hate it."

"It's just that…" Leo paused trying to fin the right words probably. "It's just that we're worried about you, Mikey. If we've been acting weird, you've been acting ten times weirder. I mean, you can't let a silence go buy without filling it up. You've been even more distracted than usual."

"That's not true," Mikey defended. Leo shrugged.

"Maybe but we've all noticed something's up. And you haven't been telling us." Mikey saw the pleading in Leo's face.

"Seriously, I'm—" Mikey stopped at the expression Leo gave him. Almost angry but it softened immediately.

"I heard you," Leo admitted softly. Mikey gave him a questioning look. "I heard you… mumbling in your sleep about… us leaving you and you being all alone… about me leaving you." Mikey didn't respond. "I just… What happened out there? That you haven't told us?" Mikey swallowed. He was always a crappy liar. He couldn't look at Loo's pleading face anymore.

"I saw you out there. When I was in my box…prison." Mikey kept his eyes downcast. "You walked right under me. Couldn't hear me yelling or banging around up there. Nothing. You just walked away…" Hot tears had started slipping down his face. He'd forgotten how much that'd hurt. How much it'd struck his core. He just wanted to go back to trusting his brothers, unconditionally, like he use to.

"Mikey, I…" Mikey looked up to see Leo searching for words. His whole body looked like it had been crushed under the weight of Mikey's confession.

"Look, just forget it." Mikey started to turn away but Leo stopped him with an hand on his shoulder.

"Mikey…" The little turtle looked up at his older brother, teary eyed. "I'm sorry." Before mIke could respond, Leo wrapped him in a big hug, completely surrounding him in an embrace. And that was it. Mikey just broke down. He couldn't shoulder it any longer. It hurt to know his brothers might not always be there. He felt Leo stroking his shell. "We may… mess up sometimes. I might mess up sometime but that doesn't mean we won't stop trying to find you. Ever. You're our brother. We'd stop at nothing to get you back. That is a promise. I swear." Mikey cracked a small smile between his tears.

"Pinky swear?"

"Pinky swear." Maybe he'd have to accept his brothers weren't all powerful super finding machines but he believed Leo when he said they'd never leave him behind. And for now, that was enough.


End file.
